Up to this point, everything we have done with our malted barley is perfectly legal in Virginia. (actually, all 50 states now that Alabama & Mississippi joined the home brewing party in 2013), but this next part will get you dragged out of your garage and thrown in a squad car if you don't have the proper licenses. You've been warned...
Scotch whisky is typically distilled in a series of two copper pot stills, shaped a bit like enormous garden gnome hats. After the wash is fully fermented, the liquid is transferred into the first of these for boiling, the 'wash still'. Ethanol, the type of alcohol we drink, has a boiling point around 172°F, lower than the 212°F for water. By boiling the wash between those two temperatures, ethanol vapor is created from the solution, leaving the water behind. The vapors are collected at the top of the still, the Swan's Neck, then funneled through a cooling coil. Many distilleries will argue the shape of their Swan's Neck is actually a major factor in determining the eventual flavors in the whisky, Once cooled back down, they will condense back into liquid form, referred to as the 'low wines' at this point, still only containing roughly 20% ABV, a high concentration of impurities, and supposedly a terrible smell.
Heads (aka Foreshots) - the first distilled liquid to condense and come through the coils
Heart of the Run (aka Middle Run) - this is what will be matured into scotch, about 70% ABV
Tails (aka Feints)- last of the liquid through the coils
The first and last, 'heads' and 'tails', are too impure to keep as is, so are discarded or recycled with subsequent low wines. The master distiller can determine the appropriate 'heart of the run' by measuring the contents in the spirit safe (see below) for 'temperature-corrected density' with a hydrometer, or something called a misting test. Irish whiskies are traditionally distilled a third time, but some argue the extra boil removes too much of the character of the malt.
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| ALL WRAPPED UP IN A DIAGRAM FROM WHISKY.COM |
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
To this point, all we have is an alcoholic spirit, not yet 'scotch whisky'. Had we been using corn rather than barley malt, the fruits of our labor could be poured into mason jars as moonshine, but to my knowledge there is no scotch equivalent (at least nothing as worthwhile as Franklin County's finest).
By law, the new make must be "aged in oak casks for at least three years". Unlike the regulations put upon American bourbon makers, their barrels do not have to be brand new. In fact, this discrepancy creates a symbiotic opportunity between the two whisk(e)y industries. Bourbon distilleries are required to age their products in new, freshly charred oak barrels. Once the whiskey is bottled for sale, scotch distilleries often purchase these used casks for their own products. The character of the oak barrel has been changed by absorbing some of the bourbon, adding a layer of complexity to the flavors of its next occupant, our future batch of scotch. Many distilleries will take advantage of this technique much later in the aging process by 'finishing' their single malts in other types of casks, such as Spanish oloroso sherry casks. The more these barrels or casks are refilled with later batches of scotch however, the less influence the cask will have over enhancing the flavor of the whisky, hence the higher priced 'first fill' designation on some bottles.
Climate during storage is yet another determinant of aging and overall flavor, Whisky aging in warm, humid climates (India as a prime example), mature much more quickly than those on the north end of the British Isles. Casks of Old Pulteney are stored in a briny maritime atmosphere on the cold northeastern coast of Scotland, imparting its saltiness into the finished product.
So now we've got the stuff in the cask, now what? We wait...
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